METROPOLITAN EDUCATION DISTRICT
December 14, 2023
CTE Newsletter Vol. 10 Issue 4
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Hello,
As the sun sets for 2023, I want to acknowledge the students, staff, and programs that helped us rise and shine in our Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) center and the Silicon Valley Adult Education (SVAE) programs in this first semester.
SVCTE’s Electrical Vehicles and Nursing Careers recently held a grand opening ribbon-cutting celebration. Teachers Tom Nemeth and Maggie Kasberger were honored at the Santa Clara County Teacher of the Year Recognition Celebration. MetroED was included in the FIRST Silicon Valley Business Journal Workforce Development Guide. work2future recently recognized MetroED with an Outstanding Partner Award as a 2023 Community Builder. New partnerships have formed, including with Tesla, Nissan, and the New Ford Tech Automotive Career Exploration program for all SVCTE automotive classes. The Santa Clara County Office of Education recognized MetroED for its inclusive practices at the LGBTQ+ History Month Showcase. And new Virtual CTE classes launched.
Then there is the wonderful work of our students. You can read about some of their achievements and more in this month’s newsletter. Additionally, SVAE will hold its end-of-semester event this evening for the Early Childhood Education program. This is a partnership with West Valley College, which offers the Pathway to Permit program.
The things happening here are phenomenal and ongoing.
I hope you have a joyful and restful holiday spent among your loved ones. A bright future awaits us in the new year!
Be well,
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Alyssa Lynch
Superintendent
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SVAE Student Sakhi Jan Haleemi Receives CalWORKs Client Achievement Award
SVAE student Sakhi Jan Haleemi recently received a Santa Clara County CalWORKs Client Achievement Award for his success story using CalWORKs services to help him rebuild a more stable life. This marks the first time in more than ten years that a nominee from any adult education school in Santa Clara County has been chosen. Many of the nominees are from junior colleges and other branches of the county’s CalWORKs partners.
Read more
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Students Graduate from CNC Machining
The third cohort of students recently graduated from the CNC Machining course offered by SVAE in partnership with Goodwill of Silicon Valley, and Manufacture: San Jose. These eight students are now internship-bound, coordinated through work2future. The students learned the essentials of a manufacturing shop environment, gained industry-specific vocabulary, mastered basic metal shop equipment usage, developed blueprint reading skills, learned precision measurements, explored quality assurance techniques, and acquired essential skills in CNC, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), and much more!
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SVCTE Film and Video Production Alumni Quang Tang’s Video Being Played in County Facilities
After earning second place in the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department’s 2023 Viral Video Contest, the video created by
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former Film and Video Production student Quang Tang will be shown continuously in facilities, including the County Juvenile Hall. Tang’s video focuses on destigmatizing sexually transmitted diseases and promoting safe sex.
“These videos serve as valuable educational material on sexual health for the youth in these settings,” said Denise Young, health education specialist in the Sexual Health & Harm Reduction Program with the county health department. “It’s truly heartening to observe how your students’ creative contributions are leaving a meaningful impact in our community.”
During last year’s contest, high school students from across the county created original videos to educate their peers about safer sexual behavior, healthy relationships, and stigma about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Winners were selected from 20 submissions by 53 students at eight different high schools.
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SVCTE Fashion Design and Culinary Arts Students Host High Tea Event
SVCTE’s Fashion Design and Textile Art and Culinary Arts students hosted their second annual High Tea. Fashion students displayed their creative projects and afterwards guests enjoyed a delicious meal served with beautifully prepared desserts by culinary students. A few students also shared their experiences about what it meant to be a part of the programs and the event, and they recognized some of the administrators in attendance.
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Fashion Design student speakers were: Lexie Scarnecchia from Santa Teresa High School, Siya Sharma from Oak Grove High School, Iliana Zavala from Calero High School, and Daniela Rosales Alvarez from Oak Grove High School, all from East Side Union High School District. Culinary Arts student speakers were: Precious Montalban from Santa Clara High School in Santa Clara Unified School District, Ofir Aicler from Branham High School in Campbell Union High School District, and Jaden Reyna from Gunderson High School in San Jose Unified School District.
A few dignitaries attended, including San Jose City Manager Jennifer Maguire; Jennifer Schembri, San Jose City Manager’s Office of Employee Relations and Human Resources Department Director; Julian Branch, Director of Educational Partnerships from Mission College; and Rhonda Motil, Vice President for JLohr Vineyards and Wine.
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SVCTE Film Student Featured at SwedeFest
Some of our Film and Video Production students’ work were recognized at the 2023 Swedefest Film Festival in Fresno, Calif, where their “sweded” video trailers were featured.
Watch the following students' trailers that were shown at the festival here:
- Stepbrothers: Jose Soreque from Silver Creek High School, Sonny Ayala from Santa Teresa High School, Sango Levonian from Piedmont High School, and Ivan Hidalgo from Mount Pleasant High School, all from East Side Union High School District
- Friday the 13th: Evelyn Luna from Milpitas High School in Milpitas Unified School District, Genna Zamarripa from James Lick High School in East Side Union High School District, Leslie Aleman Franco from Branham High School in Campbell Union High School District, and Sophia Warder from Willow Glen High School in San Jose Unified School District
- School of Rock: Selene Zayas Lazo from Overfelt High School in East Side Union High School District, Angela Wells from Leland High School in San Jose Unified School District, Jennifer Y Shum from Milpitas High School in Milpitas Unified School District, and Moises Lizardo from Oak Grove High School in East Side Union High School District
- Home Alone: Jonny Baker from Piedmont Hills High School in East Side Union High School District, Nikila Madabhushi from Leigh High School in Campbell Union High School District, Jakob Rodemeyer from Branham High School in Campbell Union High School District, and Natalie Seguin from Pioneer High School in San Jose Unified School District
- The Breakfast Club: Juliette G Eich from Willow Glen High School in San Jose Unified School District, Aaron H Tran from Andrew Hill High School in East Side Union High School District, Meyia Carrasco from Opportunity Youth Academy, Isaiah Rieken from Leigh High School in Campbell Union High School District, and Jonny Baker from Piedmont Hills High School in East Side Union High School District
“This achievement is a testament to the creativity, hard work, and commitment of our budding filmmakers!” said teacher Jonathan Furtado. “The Swedefest Film Festival provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their storytelling prowess and artistic abilities on a wider platform. Their success speaks volumes about the quality of education and encouragement they receive here at SVCTE.”
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Kaiser Permanente’s Strive to Thrive Career Exploration Event
SVCTE Program Representative Katherine Williams; Joell Hanson, MetroED Director of Workforce Development and Grants; and some SVCTE Student Ambassadors attended Kaiser Permanente’s Strive to Thrive Career Exploration Event at San Jose State University. The event was geared toward 16- to 20-year-olds and selected middle school youth to learn about healthcare jobs and careers. Student Ambassadors Minh Tran from Oak Grove High School in East Side Union High School District, Sophie Mack from Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, and Jenny Park from Leland High School in San José Unified School District did an amazing job talking with attendees and sharing SVCTE health pathways information.
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SVAE Students Visit San José City College
Sixty-eight students from five SVAE classes embarked on a field trip to San José City College. The visit allowed students to see the campus's diversity and allowed them to envision themselves pursuing their higher education goals there. The day before the field trip, two representatives from the college visited to provide an overview of the campus.
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SVAE Students Visit West Valley College
Sixteen SVAE students from four classes attended the "Become a Teacher Fair" at West Valley College. The fair allowed students to interact with many ECE and Elementary Education employers and childcare and teacher resource agencies. Students heard presentations by San Jose State University for their different teacher pathways and the Santa Clara County Office of Education about their Teacher Preparation Program.
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Board Meeting Live Stream Features Mechatronics Engineering Program
During MetroED’s Governing Board Meetings, we live-stream a featured SVCTE or SVAE program.
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In November, we highlighted Mechatronics Engineering. Tune into the 30-minute section of this YouTube video, and you will hear teacher Jim Burnham discuss his program, which is continually exciting students. But don't just take his word for it. Connor Nguyen from Gunderson High School in San José Unified School District shares why he decided to join Mechatronics and the fun and engaging projects they are constantly working on.
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MetroED News and Highlights
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MetroED Debuts Tiny Home
MetroED has big news in a small package! Last week we held an Open House for staff to celebrate the addition of a new tiny home, built and installed by the San Jose Conservation Corps and Charter School (SJCC).
It is a flexible living space of 160 square feet atop a trailer, and includes a full kitchen and bathroom which can easily accommodate two people. We will be using it in many ways, including for possible overnight housing for staff emergencies; teaching and learning for our Construction, HVAC, and Electrical Maintenance programs; and staff wellness.
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work2future Recognizes MetroED with an Oustanding Partner Award
work2future recently recognized MetroED with an Outstanding Partner Award as a 2023 Community Builder. This recognition celebrates our collaborative efforts, fostering a partnership that led to the genesis of 26 paid internships for SVCTE dental and medical assisting students. Through this initiative, the students showcased their skills, collectively amassing an impressive $168,000 in earnings, marking a testament to the power of such impactful collaborations.
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City of San José Representatives Share Important Housing Information
MetroED addresses students' needs, academically and personally. This was demonstrated when Esther Aguirre, an analyst from the City of San José Housing Department Rent Stabilization Program, and a colleague held presentations about housing and rental issues for SVAE students. This was coordinated by Transition Specialist Arezoo Miller after many students previously reach out to her with questions. This informative presentation also allowed students to ask questions and make an appointment to address their issues privately.
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College Representatives Visit SVCTE
This year, in addition to SVCTE’s two-day College & Career Fair in the spring, representatives from four-year colleges-including USF, SJSU, CA College of the Arts, and UCSC-have been visiting this fall. During October and November, outreach specialists presented information about their programs, admission process, financial aid, tour possibilities, and answered our students' questions. We are happy to expose our students to such a variety of incredible academic pathway opportunities!
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MetroED Staff Recognized
We are proud to celebrate our incredible staff achievements. At the November Board Meeting, the CalWORKS team from SVAE was recognized for continuing to set the bar high and make strides in many areas, including holding monthly Second Harvest Food Bank drives. Congratulations to Maggie Kasberger, SVCTE’s Sports Medicine & Kinesiology teacher, for being recognized as one of four county honorees of the prestigious STEM Award at the Teacher Recognition Celebration! And a special shoutout to Katherine Williams, SVCTE Program Representative, for representing MetroED and accepting recognition from the Santa Clara County Office of Education for our commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity practices.
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Positions are Available at MetroED!
We are currently seeking applicants that would be an excellent fit for our team. The district pays full health benefits to eligible employees and their dependents, including dental, life, and an employee assistance program. You can click below to learn more.
MetroED Current Openings
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MetroED Governing Board Updates
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MetroED Governing Board Meeting
To see past meeting minutes and agendas, please visit our Gamut online page. You can also view upcoming MetroED Governing Board meeting agendas and Governing Board Policies.
Next meeting: January 17, at 6 p.m. | In-person, SVCTE Auditorium, Room 201, and via Zoom
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Dec. 21 | Fall Semester Ends
Dec. 25 - Jan. 5 | Winter Shutdown
Jan. 8 | All-Staff Meeting
Jan. 9 | Spring Semester Begins
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